Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the security relationship between his country and the United States “rock-solid” in a congratulatory message to President Obama on his reelection.
“I want to congratulate President Obama on his reelection,” Netanyahu said during a televised appearance with U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro. “I think the United States of America again demonstrated why it's the greatest democracy on earth.
“The security relationship between the United States and Israel is rock-solid, and I look forward to working with President Obama to further strengthen this relationship. And I look forward to working with him to advance our goals of peace and security.”
Netanyahu ended the brief meeting with Shapiro by telling him, “Now I'm going to offer you a hamburger.”
The U.S.-Israel relationship played an important role in the election, as GOP nominee Mitt Romney hammered the administration, charging Obama with being a weak ally to Israel.
The conservative Netanyahu was also criticized by many who saw him as publicly supporting Romney, a longtime friend.
Obama and Netanyahu have had a tense relationship in part because of Israel's failure to curb settlement expansion in the Palestinian territories, which has contributed to the mothballing of the peace process over the past three years. Netanyahu has publicly called on the administration to spell out the red lines Iran will not be allowed to cross in its alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
